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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27580358">Beauty Is Where?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ms_josephine/pseuds/ms_josephine'>ms_josephine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV), Twilight Zone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, Based on the Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder", Dead Sheriff Stilinski, Doctor Lydia Martin, Hopeful Ending, Human Derek Hale, Human Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Mentions of experimental medical procedures, My First Work in This Fandom, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Society that puts a serious emphasis on looks, Sterek Week 2020, Those who deviate from the norm are cast out, past bullying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:01:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,990</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27580358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ms_josephine/pseuds/ms_josephine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles has spent his entire life as an outcast. Now after his final attempt with experimental procedures, will he be able to join society like everyone else?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale &amp; Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Beauty Is Where?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So.... initially my plan was to break into the fandom during Sterek week with a flourish and a bunch of new fics. But, the military decided to screw up my plans when they gave us two weeks to pack and get ready to move 3,000 miles away. We're now settled in temporary housing for the next week until we begin our drive, so hopefully I can get out some of the fics I planned on.</p><p>The prompt for the first day was "Scene Stealer" and this episode of the Twilight Zone is my favorite (for real, I have a tattoo of one of the nurses on my arm). Please be aware: Stiles is dealing with serious self-esteem and body hatred issues in this fic. This society puts major emphasis on looks and rejects anyone who doesn't conform to their perceptions of beauty. Take care of yourselves and if anyone feels additional tags are warranted, please let me know. </p><p>This is unbeta'd and all mistakes are my own. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stiles wakes up in the dark and briefly panics.</p><p>One would think him used to the process by now considering how many times he’s gone through various procedures and experimental injections. Every new doctor he sees is convinced that they will be the one to solve the problem. They will be the one to fix him. The one to make him look normal.</p><p>No matter how optimistic he is and no matter how much faith he puts into his doctors, Stiles is no fool. He’s done the research, knows the odds. Knows someone with his condition is rarely able to be helped.</p><p>The easiest option-- and the one with the highest success rate-- is surgery. Unfortunately, that isn’t an option for Stiles. His bone structure is all wrong and his skin… well… It was determined early on that surgery wasn’t possible for him.</p><p>The only options left are... not hopeless exactly. But there’s a reason some things are called last resorts.</p><p>Oh, sure. Every now and then, with the right combination of medications and an insane amount of luck, there’s a miracle patient. But Stiles has read all about those cases too and in each one, none of those patients were as bad off as him.</p><p>So, even though he hopes and prays and tells himself, “This is it! This procedure will be the one!”, he’s not really shocked when the bandages come off and nothing has changed.</p><p>Stiles is used to disappointment.</p><p>He’s spent his entire life as a freak. One of his first memories is of a child screaming in terror when they saw his face. He hated leaving his house. Every visit to the doctor, every trip to the grocery store, even going to the park, people would stare and point and give his parents pitying looks for being stuck with such a creature as him. He went to school for a grand total of two days. The bullying was so bad that he refused to go back and his mother homeschooled him until she died when he was ten years old.</p><p>When Stiles was a teenager, things started changing. New laws were being passed. Neighbors who once tried to pretend someone like Stiles wasn’t living on their street, began to turn hostile. Their home was vandalized and people left threatening messages. When someone tried to set fire to the house, they moved.</p><p>His dad found a job as the sheriff of a sleepy California town. It was in close proximity to the colony on the nature preserve and the people there seemed to be a little less bigoted towards those like Stiles. Still, their house was secluded, with distant neighbors, and nobody knew the sheriff even had a son.</p><p>Stiles spent his days on the computer or tending to the large vegetable garden in their backyard. He loved smelling the flowers and herbs he grew. Loved feeling the breeze on his skin. Sometimes he got lonely, but when he considered the alternative? No. Stiles would much rather live alone than be locked up like some parents started doing to children like him. And his father did everything in his power to make sure that didn’t happen. His father made sure his life was filled with light.</p><p>To wake up in the dark, with the suffocating feeling of bandages covering his face, is always disorienting. He works to calm himself and tries to take comfort from the fact that this is his last try. Number eleven. The maximum amount of procedures allowed before… alternative measures are taken. Up until now, they’ve allowed him to live in his house. If this latest round of treatments doesn’t work, that’s it. He’s out of options.</p><p>They used to exterminate ‘undesirables’, but the State doesn’t do that much anymore. The colonies are the preferred choice these days for dealing with people like him. No matter what, after today, he’ll know.</p><p>Stiles wonders what woke him when he hears the door snick closed followed by a pair of heels tapping across the floor. “Hello?” he calls out.</p><p>“Mr. Stilinski. How are you feeling today?”</p><p>Stiles’s face pulls on the gauze as he tries to smile. “Much better now that you’re here Dr. Martin.”</p><p>She scoffs. “You are a terrible flirt, Mr. Stilinski. That’s going to get you into trouble one day.”</p><p>“At this point, what have I got to lose?”</p><p>“I know this is hard. Especially since this is your last try. Is there… anyone who could come and be with you when we remove the bandages?”</p><p>The familiar ache settles in his chest. “No. My mom died when I was a kid and my dad—” Stiles feels his eyes burn with tears and clears his throat. “Been almost two years since I lost him. Nobody else. Nobody wants to be around someone like me. Nobody ever will.”</p><p>Stiles feels a hand squeeze his shoulder. “Don’t lose hope yet. I’ve done plenty of research and I have a good feeling about this latest procedure.”</p><p>“Sure, doc. Whatever you say.”</p><p>“Are you doubting me?”</p><p>“You? Never. You are a goddess. I’m doubting my ability to make your procedure work.”</p><p>Dr. Martin laughs. “You are something else.” She pats his shoulder. “I’ll be back in a bit and we’ll see about getting those bandages off.”</p><p>“Yea, ok.”</p><p>The door closes and Stiles drops his head back. Why can’t he just be normal? He doesn’t need to be hot or anything. He just wants to look like everyone else. Wants to be able to shop without someone calling the police. Wants to have a shot with someone like Dr. Martin. Wants to have a shot with anyone. Nobody wants to look at someone like Stiles, much less be with him. He’s never been on a date and he probably never will.</p><p>He’s going to be sent away to live in a place with others like him. He can’t imagine ever being happy there. A community filled with walking nightmares. The very thought is terrifying.</p><p>There’s a knock on the door and he hears the tapping of Dr. Martin’s heels crossing the room along with several other sets of feet. “Stiles?” she says. “Are you ready?”</p><p>Crap. No. “As I’ll ever be.”</p><p>“Would you like a mirror?”</p><p>Stiles internally balks at the idea. “No. Please. No, thank you.”</p><p>“Alright then. Here we go.”</p><p>A gentle hand touches the side of his head and he hears the sound of scissors cutting through the fabric covering his face. “Now, Stiles, your eyes may have been affected by the injections, so we’re going to go slowly and I want you to tell me when the light changes or if it’s too bright.”</p><p>“O-ok.” He feels hands passing from one side of his head to the other. As one particular layer falls away, he can see a bit of light through the gauze and tells Dr. Martin.</p><p>“Good. That’s good. Just keep still. Not much more.”</p><p>More cutting and more layers fall away. The light brightens and he can see movement now.</p><p>“We’re at the last layer of bandages Stiles. Remember, no matter what happens, you need to try and stay calm. Everything will be alright.”</p><p>Easy for her to say. “Calm. Right, ok. I’m ready.”</p><p>One more snip. He feels the bandages pull away from his skin and one of the nurses gasps. Dr. Martin drops the scissors. “No change!”</p><p>No!</p><p>Stiles lifts his hands to his face. Smooth skin. Small, pointed nose with tiny nostrils angled down. His upper lip meets his bottom one evenly and doesn’t overlap at all.</p><p>Why?! Why did this happen to him?</p><p>He looks up at Dr. Martin. Her irises are bright against the dark shadows under her eyes and her beautiful, large nostrils flair in horror. He looks at one of the nurses and sees her shapely upper lip curl even more in disgust. The other nurse takes a step back and Stiles envies his flat nose and the thick wrinkles on his cheeks.</p><p>He can’t take it anymore. Stiles bolts from the room. “Stiles!” Dr. Martin shouts. He ignores her and keeps running. Around every corner are more doctors, nurses, patients. All normal. He feels like he can’t breathe. He just wants to hide. Just wants to go back to his house and his garden. He’ll never bother anyone ever again.</p><p>Stiles runs down a long hallway and slams through a set of double doors. He’s going so fast that he almost runs into a man standing on the other side, but when he sees him, he recoils in horror and slams back against the wall beside the door.</p><p>The man is hideous. Smooth cheeks covered in short hair, flat brow, straight nose, even lips. Oh, God. He must be here for Stiles. To take him away.</p><p>Dr. Martin bursts through the doors. She sees Stiles and reaches out to lay a hand on his arm. “Stiles. It’s ok. Don’t be afraid. This is Derek. He’s in charge of the colony outside of Beacon Hills.” Derek lifts a hand in greeting. “You’re going to have to go with him.” Stiles pulls back as much as he can and gives her a pleading look. “We talked about this, remember? This is the way it has to be. You’ll be alright. You’ll be with other people who can understand you. There’s no place for you here.” Dr. Martin pulls her arm back and steps away. “Goodbye Stiles and good luck.” She gives him one last pitying looks and leaves him alone with Derek.</p><p>The other man approaches slowly. “It’s nice to meet you Stiles.” He holds out a hand and after a moment Stiles takes it. He knew this was always a possibility. No use panicking now. Derek gives him a smile and Stiles is a bit taken aback at the sight of teeth between his lips. That will take some getting used to. “I know this is all very confusing and I’m sorry that this has happened to you. But we have a lovely community with some wonderful people. I think you’ll like it there. You’ll be with your own kind and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll find a sense of belonging. A sense of being loved.”</p><p><em>That</em> catches Stile off guard. “Loved? Like people there have relationships? Romantic relationships, I mean.”</p><p>Derek smiles again. Teeth so many teeth. Gross. “I meant in a platonic or familial way. We’re a small community and we depend on each other. But there are some there that have found the other kind of love. In fact, we have a wedding planned for next month.”</p><p>“That’s-- that sounds wonderful. I never thought… you know, that people like us…”</p><p>“There’s an old saying, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Remember that and I think you’ll soon come to realize that looks don’t really matter.”</p><p>“Psh, yea ok. Whatever you say, buddy.”</p><p>Derek huffs a laugh and shakes his head. “Come on. Let’s go get your things.”</p><p>Stiles follows Derek down the hallway and, for the first time since laying eyes on him, is not repulsed. From the back, he sees the way the other man fills out his jeans just right and can’t help but notice how that shirt stretches over his muscled shoulders. Hmm… Maybe life at the colony won’t be too bad after all.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Now the questions that come to mind: "Where is this place and when is it?" "What kind of world where ugliness is the norm and beauty the deviation from that norm?" You want an answer? The answer is it doesn't make any difference, because the old saying happens to be true. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this year or a hundred years hence. On this planet or wherever there is human life – perhaps out amongst the stars – beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Lesson to be learned in the Twilight Zone.</em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Every Kudos gets Stiles more flowers for his new garden!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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